Graduation
by Bchets
Summary: Kumiko and Reina finally graduate and decide to spend another day on top of a certain mountain. Kumirei oneshot.
**Graduation**

It was just another day for Reina. Go to school, practice with the band, go home and practice alone. Find some time in between all of that to eat and sleep. Just another day.

Well, it should have been, but today she was graduating from Kitauji High School and moving to Tokyo. She had been scouted by Tokyo University, and they offered a hefty scholarship to persuade her to go there. Reina accepted, knowing this was another step on her pathway to becoming special.

As she walked up to accept her diploma, Reina scanned the crowd. She made eye contact with Kumiko, who smiled widely at her. Reina smiled back, which was a rare sight to anyone other than Kumiko. They followed the same sequence when Kumiko went onto the stage.

Eventually the ceremony ended, and their high school lives were over.

"Ah, we're finally free!" Kumiko sighed in relief and looked over at Reina.

"I guess you could say that." Reina smiled at Kumiko.

"It's been a quick three years, huh? I still remember that time we hiked up that mountain during the festival. That was a pretty crazy thing to do, you know. Even bringing my euphonium…" Kumiko looked at Reina with a sense of nostalgia. "Hey, on that day didn't you-" Kumiko cut off her sentence, causing Reina to look at her with curiosity.

"Kumiko?" Kumiko had stopped walking forward, as if in thought about something. "Is something wrong?"

"Reina… Do you, uh… Never mind."

"Hmm? Are you sure?" Reina caught herself thinking about the day of the Agata festival during their first year. She wondered if Kumiko remembered her impromptu confession, lightly blushing at the thought. "Hey, Kumiko?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna go up there again?"

"Do we have to bring our instruments again?" Reina nodded in response. Kumiko sighed loudly. "You know, just because I've been carrying it for forever doesn't mean it's not heavy."

"Well?"

"Sure. You wanna ask Taki-sensei if we could borrow them?" Reina nodded. Kumiko went to talk with her family while Reina looked around for their band teacher. She eventually spotted him chatting with her father.

"Reina has definitely grown as a musician. Before, she would play pieces almost technically flawlessly. But after three years I can clearly hear emotion from her trumpet."

"Ah, then you've done well, Taki."

"I can't say that it was completely my doing. In fact, it was more of-" Taki cut off his sentence as he looked over at Reina who was approaching. "Speaking of Reina…"

"Hi, Taki-sensei. Could I borrow a trumpet and a euphonium?"

"Ah, sure. Just make sure you and Oumae-san bring them back okay?"

"Okay." Taki handed her the music room key. Reina took it and started to look for Kumiko.

"As I was saying, it was more…" Taki continued speaking to Reina's father, talking about the person who contributed greatly Reina's musical growth, even if she didn't realize it.

Meanwhile, that person was chatting with Hazuki and Midori, talking about their futures. They had all gotten into the same university, and it was located nearby Kitauji High. As they excitedly discussed their plans to live together, Shuichi walked by them. Hazuki was the first to notice him.

"Ah, Tsukamoto-kun, what university are you going into?" As Shuichi named the same university the girls were just talking about, Hazuki gasped and Kumiko glared at Shuichi.

"What's with that stare?"

"Nothing!" Kumiko looked away from Shuichi and saw Reina walking towards them. She waved to Kumiko. "Hey, I'll see you all later."

"Bye, Kumiko!"

"See ya."

"Have fun!" Kumiko looked at Midori wondering what she meant. Midori saw that and grinned at Kumiko, giving her a thumbs up.

"Uh, thanks?" Kumiko shrugged it off and walked over to Reina. "You got the key to the music room?" Reina nodded and they started to walk to the music room. Once getting their instruments, they said goodbye to the people they knew and got on the train to head towards that mountain once again.

* * *

"Ah, this hike was as long as I remember…" Halfway up the mountain, Kumiko jokingly complained about the hike. Reina remained silent. Wondering what was on her mind, Kumiko spoke up. "Reina, is everything okay?"

"I was just thinking of the last time we were here… Brings back memories." Kumiko remembered, too, but she felt a bit too embarrassed to ask Reina about her offhand confession.

 _She probably didn't mean love like that anyway. Besides, she loves Taki-sensei… Why did that feel weird to think about?_

As Kumiko was thinking about that, Reina spoke.

"You know, I meant what I said that time."

"W-what?"

"Yeah, you have a terrible personality." Kumiko sighed loudly at that comment.

"It's been three years and you're still using the same insult?"

"It's not an insult."

"Then what is it?"

"I told you already, didn't I? It's a confession of love."

"I-I… What do you mea-"

"We're here." Kumiko didn't finish her question. Instead, she looked at the town from the high mountaintop. The sakura trees were in bloom, coloring the town with patches of light pink. The sight of it was more breathtaking than she remembered.

"It's pretty." Reina looked at Kumiko and nodded.

"Yeah, it is." They laid their instruments down near the bench and walked up to the railing. While Reina looked over the town, Kumiko turned towards her. She remembered the thought she had the night of the festival.

 _This must be how it feels to lose your life, drawn to a beautiful thing, despite your fears._

If that was really the case, then Kumiko had experienced death countless times. In fact, she was feeling the same at that very moment, staring at Reina. But another thought dragged her back to reality.

"Hey, Reina."

"Yes?"

"You're gonna be a few hours away, right? So we won't see each other as much… I ju-" Reina interrupted her by placing her finger on Kumiko's lips.

"Let's play." Without another word, Reina walked over to her instrument case and pulled out her trumpet. Kumiko, still stunned, stood there for a little before Reina called out to her. "Kumiko."

"Y-yeah…" Kumiko grabbed her euphonium and they sat down on the same steps from two years ago. They looked at each other in order to confirm which song they were playing. Reina simply nodded at Kumiko, which told her all that she needed. And in the next instant, "The Place Where We Found Love" rang out from the top of the mountain.

* * *

After the song was over, Kumiko and Reina looked at each other and smiled.

"That song really brings me back." To that Reina nodded and looked back at the railing. Kumiko wanted to address it once more, but before she had the chance, Reina spoke up.

"I'm not worried about us being far apart." Surprised, Kumiko looked at Reina with curiosity.

"Why not?" In response Reina put down her trumpet and scooted closer to Kumiko. She touched her cheek with her hand, reminding Kumiko of the solo audition Reina had during their first year of high school.

"Because you said you'd never leave me." Kumiko's face flushed while she remembered what was said during that conversation.

"Y-you still remember that?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm not worried about you being taken away by anyone else. After all, it was your confession of love to me." Kumiko further blushed when she realized the implications of what Reina was saying.

"I-it's not like that!" Reina leaned in closer to Kumiko, reducing the distance between their faces to mere centimeters.

"So, you don't love me?"

"W-well…" Reina smiled at Kumiko.

"You really do have a terrible personality, Kumiko." And before Kumiko could react, Reina closed the distance, softly placing her lips on Kumiko's. Kumiko blinked a few times in surprise, and before she knew it, Reina had already separated from her.

"Wha… You… You kissed me…" Reina looked at Kumiko in surprise, slightly tilting her head as if questioning her.

"That's what you do with people you like, right?" Kumiko's heart was racing as she processed what Reina just said. It raced even faster as she realized her own feelings of Reina. And once everything had clicked together in Kumiko's mind, she moved closer to Reina and embraced her.

"K-kiss me again…"

"You really do have a te-" Kumiko couldn't wait any longer, nor did she want to hear Reina say that line again, so she interrupted Reina with a kiss of her own. They didn't separate so quickly this time, only stopping in order to breathe.

"I get it, Reina. But your personality isn't the best either, you know." Reina laughed, hugging Kumiko even tighter.

"Then let's be terrible people together." Kumiko chuckled at that and pulled Reina in for another kiss.

Kumiko and Reina continued to talk, reminisce, play music and occasionally kiss despite their own fears of the future. Because at the place where they found love, the only thing that mattered was that they were together.

* * *

 **So, I'm trying something other than Oregairu. Tell me if it's good, because I don't really know these characters very well. Oh, and this was super cheesy, but oh well. Was just inspired for some reason. And I couldn't stop writing. Probably why I'm writing at 4 AM instead of sleeping/studying.**

 **Btw, Kumirei is the ship that got me into shipping.**

 **Thanks,**

 **Bchets**


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